Where can you park?

Thanks to recent snow removal efforts, drivers can now park on wider streets: they must simply be able to leave at least three metres of passable road.

If you aren’t sure how wide that is, consider the width of a parallel parking space. A parallel parking space is 2.76 metres wide, so there must at least be enough room for someone to park comfortably next to your car.

When parking on any road, you must leave at least 3 meters of passable road. If you can’t leave 3 meters, then you can’t park there.

You’re allowed to park on streets that have been widened or cleared. Your car should not block the road or interfere with snow removal. — Halifax Parking Ban (@HFXParkingBan) March 25, 2015

The HRM has also been enforcing an all-day parking ban in recent weeks, but this ban was changed to a “limited” parking ban on Wednesday. Drivers may now also park on roads that have been substantially widened during the day.

When parking in the city, there are a few things to consider:

Is your car blocking traffic?

Could an emergency vehicle get around your car with ease?

Are you blocking any snow crews in the area?

According to Global News, businesses and schools that have opened up their parking to the public during the overnight parking ban include Dalhousie (the Dalplex and Hancock parking lots), the Halifax Shopping Centre, the Dartmouth Sportsplex and a number of lots along the Halifax waterfront.

What can you expect?

Anyone who defies the parking ban can expect to be towed and/or ticketed. Tickets carry a fine of $50, while towing can cost much more. According to the Chronicle Herald, as of mid-March, before the last two winter storms that buried the province under several feet of snow, there were 9,308 tickets issued and 58 cars towed.

Section 202 of the Motor Vehicle Act states that vehicles can be ticketed or towed if they interfere with the work of the snow removal crews.

Snow removal crews in the HRM are responsible for clearing 3,800 km of road, close to 1,000 km of sidewalk, and 3,600 bus stops. The snow removal process is decided on a priority basis, starting with the busiest roads.

Still waiting to have your area cleared? Check the priority of your road here.